Economy of Toronto - Tourism

Tourism

See also: Hotels in Toronto, List of neighbourhoods in Toronto, List of shopping malls in Toronto, Attractions in Toronto, and Demographics of Toronto

Toronto is home to a sprawling and diverse commercial infrastructure. The Toronto Eaton Centre is the primary tourist attraction in Toronto, with over one million visitors a week. Other commercial areas that receives many tourists include the PATH network, which is the world's largest underground shopping complex and the eclectic Kensington and St. Lawrence Market. The Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood is one of the most elegant shopping and dining districts in Toronto.

Along Queen Street East, Toronto's biggest camera stores can be found there. Big-box stores are not generally found in downtown Toronto, but the suburbs have many large malls, big-box stores, as well as specialty stores, for example, stores selling discount fashions and lighting nearby Orfus Road close to Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

The fashion district is located near King and Spadina, close to the old Chinatown to the north and entertainment district to the east. Sunday shopping in Toronto first got its start in the fashion district in the 1980s.

St. Lawrence Market is a large, historic vendors market with an open air section in summer selling fresh locally grown produce. Kensington Market also has an outdoor vendor section located close to Chinatown.

The city itself has many large and unique malls and shopping centres. Shopping in Toronto has become a large draw for tourists, with, for example, the Eaton Centre being designated as a tourist attraction in the 1980s. Toronto and its immediate area also boasts many large ethnic shopping malls, the largest of which is Pacific Mall in Markham, catering to the area's large Chinese population.

The Toronto Islands are a major tourist draw, attracting people for the beauty of the scenery, the ban of private motor vehicles on the islands outside of the airport, and proximity to downtown Toronto. As well, the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Toronto's theatre and musicals are all magnets for tourists.

Toronto boasts a wide variety of different high-end cuisines, because of its cultural diversity. As Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world (based on percentage of residents being foreign born), Toronto has immigrants from every corner of the world, including little Indias, Chinas, Korea, and even a little Malta. It has recently become noted for the availability of quality restaurants.